A Japanese atlas made in 1876 illustrates Japanese territory in yellow and purple, with Korean territory including Dokdo and Ulleungdo uncolored. / Courtesy of Shim Jeong-bo

By Chung Hyun-chae

Japanese geography textbooks used in the late 19th century described Dokdo, Korea's easternmost islets, over which Japan claims sovereignty, as belonging to Korea, a study showed Thursday.

According to research conducted by Shim Jeong-bo, a professor of geography education at Seowon University in North Chungcheong Province, Japan, recognized Dokdo as Korean territory in its geography textbooks for elementary and middle school students during the Meiji Restoration era (1868-1912).

Shim cited Japanese geography books including an elementary school textbook titled "Koukokuchirisyo," which he believes is Japan's oldest geography book that mentioned Dokdo, and a middle school textbook titled "Kaisei nihonchishi youryaku."

The former was published in 1874 and the latter in 1886.

"The Koukokuchirisyo stated that Japanese residents had to get permission from the Japanese government to fish near Dokdo and Ulleungdo, also one of Korea's territories in the East Sea, meaning that Japan recognized the two islands as foreign territories," Shim told The Korea Times.

A Japanese geography textbook titled "Koukokuchirisyo" published in 1874 provides evidence that Japan recognized Dokdo as belonging to Korea. / Courtesy of Shim Jeong-bo

"The latter also stated that Japan's highest administrative body in 1886 announced that Dokdo and Ulleungdo were parts of Joseon," he added.

The professor also cited atlases including a complete map of Japan called "Dainihonzenzu" which was published in 1892 and a local map titled "Sanindounozu" made in 1876.

On those maps, Japanese territories were colored, with Korean territories including Dokdo and Ulleungdo left uncolored. Shim said he found those books in libraries in Japan.

"Given that textbooks reflect the situation of that time, in all times and places, the textbooks and maps I found are important resources that are reliable to refute the Japanese territorial claim over the sovereignty of Dokdo," Shim said.

Located about 160 kilometers northwest of Japan's Oki Island, Dokdo is a set of volcanic outcrops abundant in fishing resources and minerals, of which ownership has been disputed between Seoul and Tokyo over the past several decades.

Japan incorporated Dokdo in its Shimane Prefecture, opposing its previous proclamation in 1877 of the Japanese Council of the State that Japan has nothing to do with the islets and that they belong to Korea.

Yeungnam University's Dokdo Institute will hold a symposium today to refute the Japanese claim on Dokdo with study results including Shim's.

The institute has held the symposium since 2006 to criticize "Takeshima Day," proclaimed by Shimane Prefecture in 2005 to highlight its territorial claim to the island.

"I hope the symposium could serve as a venue that exposes the fallacies in Japanese territorial claims," said Choi Jae-mok, director of the Dokdo Institute.